Schweitzer, Baldy are white with snow: Time to get ready down below!

A few years ago, I began my “getting-ready-for-winter” column with a conversation with master architect Joe Wythe. He had called to chat about the Peaceable Kingdom gardens at Unicorn Farm, where his now departed wife Lois had created the beautiful surroundings so appropriate for their names.

Dry weather and watering came into the conversation and Joe mentioned casually that he had always wondered why people wound their hoses up into a circle which would always twist into itself and not pull out easily for use. “It’s so much more practical to store them in a Figure 8,” he said, noting that one could easily pull the hose along for watering with never a tangle.

I agreed, and have wrapped mine that way ever since. So, for today’s compendium of lore, ideas and tips from gardeners to gardeners, that will be the number one suggestion — after draining the hose, of course. Give it a try.

From a number of sources come some excerpts for a fall/winter “to do” list for zones 3-4-5 – which encompasses our areas’ growing seasons.

• Avoid deep cultivation around shallow rooted trees and shrubs such as evergreens. Roots can freeze or crack during freezes. A little mulch of straw (better than hay, since nothing eats it) or leaves can protect untilsnow comes to do the job.

• Leave faded flowers on those plants that form ornamental seed heads, pods or berries (rose-hips).

• Provide water in a shallow pan or birdbath for your feathered friends. We have a fabulous winter bird population here and it is to be treasured. Hang feeders of black oil sunflower seeds near shelter if possible – nearby shrubs, hedges or trees are perfect. Don’t take down your bird houses, they’re great for shelter from the weather.

• Don’t forget to bring in and clean hummingbird feeders so the sugar solution doesn’t mold to the sides over winter.

* Use cold weather “downtime” to sharpen mower blades, shovel edges, hoes and such prevent leaf blade damage and lawn stress.

• Gather up empty pots for storage. Scrape out any residue, scrub with a sponge or old towel if necessary, and for safety’s sake, clean in a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) and air dry.

• Mulch perennials in large garden pots with an armful of leaves or straw; before it turns really cold, wrap the pots with burlap or other protective material. An effective solution is to create a column inside the pot with chicken wire; cut it twice as tall as the plant then dump it full of leaves. Add a cover if you wish or pinch the top together.

• Wrap the small trunks of young trees from base to first branches with hardware cloth (old Ace bandages are great.) This keeps the deer and rodents from nibbling the tender bark.

• Check your larger trees for overhanging or risky branches that might break off with a burden or snow or ice. Call a certified arborist if you want them evaluated for safety.

• Continue to turn the compost pile frequently, while enhancing it with potato peels, coffee grounds and eggshells – along with leaves and grass clippings (never tainted with “weed and feed”) – for enriching gardens for next season’s planting, right up till snowfall. Then, cover the pile with a tarp or canvas, weighted down for winter’s winds and let it work and “cook” till spring.

• Shrub preparation: We’re told that this is to be a really snowy winter. While serving as the perfect mulch for our dormant gardens, heavy snows can wreak havoc , especially with tall shrubs and those planted under or along your house’s eaves. Columnar-type Juniper – arborvitae - especially is subject to this, with its up-growing, tight-knit branches forced apart and often breaking under snow-load. If you haven’t taken steps to wrap or bind your at-risk shrubs, now’s the time to do it. Burlaping or wrapping with light rope will usually do the trick and allow you to save yourself grief in the spring.

• If you burn wood (real wood, not commercially made logs) save the ashes for use in the spring as a soil amendment of potash and/or lime where needed. A small amount may be used In the compost pile, but incorporate it well.

• If you have climbing roses, check the branches to make sure they’re study and well attached to their supports so as to thwart winter winds.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.